For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
-Hebrews 4:12

God created mankind in His image, we are told in Genesis. That image is expressed through humanity in many ways, from our desire to reveal our personalities through our own creations to our need for a cause larger than ourselves. In its most basic element, our very existence mirrors His Godhead in trinity. Each person enters time and space as three: body, soul, and spirit.

We often use the terms “soul” and “spirit” interchangeably, but they are separate entities.

• Our body we know well. It is the house of flesh, the vessel of clay in which we reside on this side of heaven.

• Our soul is who we are. It is more than the sum of our thoughts or the vault from which our brain operates. It is the eternal person that is us. The brain is the control room that connects our soul to our body and directs the body to act out the commands of the soul. Our souls will exist forever. The question since Eden has been where that eternal dwelling will be.

• Our spirit is that part of us that hears the voice of God and communes with Him. It is lost if we do not accept the sacrifice of Jesus which cleansed mankind's sins and restored the communion of Eden. This is the new man spoken of by the apostle Paul in the book of Romans.

In the Garden, the death humanity suffered was three-fold. That part of us that communed with God died. A biological clock began to tick in our bodies that made death of the flesh a certainty. Our souls could no longer live in the presence of God and carried a sentence of eternal judgment away from His presence.

The cross destroyed the curse and restored us. For those who lived before the coming of the Lord Jesus, it was a forward-looking faith. For us, it is an accepting of the revelation of His good news. At salvation, the Holy Spirit enters this house of clay to come alongside us. He speaks to our spirits, comforts our souls, and keeps our bodies as seed for the resurrection.

In the Bible, the three persons of the Trinity always worked together and gave the glory to the Father. In our lives, God desires us to submit our triune body to the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, who will grant us strength and victory for each day. For it is only in Him that we are truly complete.

About Pamela Thorson:
Pamela Thorson is a licensed practical nurse, author, and full-time caregiver. She pioneered in the homeschooling movement from 1982-2006 and authored her first book, Song in the Night, in 2008. Her second book, Out from the Shadows: 31 Devotions for the Weary Caregiver, released in 2014. She resides in the Northwest with her family.

As we smiled at the people we met on our walk I wondered at the social custom that requires face-to-face congeniality on a bike path among strangers who would soon be in our respective cars fighting over a lane change. It’s easier to be mad at people when we can’t see their faces.

Slightly Obsessed #226: Triune

In its most basic element, our very existence mirrors His Godhead in trinity. Each person enters time and space as three: body, soul, and spirit.

Slightly Obsessed #225: Why Lightning Doesn't Strike the Wicked

The popular radio host was on a rampage, vehemently damning God. He crowned the diatribe by flinging a challenge at God to strike him down at that very moment. He smugly interpreted heaven's silence as proof that there is no God. But what was really happening?

Slightly Obsessed #224: When the Pressure Feels Too Great

The fig I found in a local big box store had already been trimmed into a lovely miniature tree with an unusual trunk. Little did I understand what it takes to train a plant into a bonsai, and what that process would teach me about God.

Slightly Obsessed #223: Right Clothes, Wrong Spirit

Satan seeks to deceive us, divide us, and destroy us. His bag of tricks and sleight of hand are impressive but imaginary trapdoors to disillusionment. He constantly roams the earth in an insatiable search for humans to devour.

Slightly Obsessed #222: The Rain

Like the grass, the human heart has shallow roots and fades quickly in the dry season. But those shallow roots also are the first to taste the rain.